March 20 (ASHEVILLE, NC)– The last of 11 defendants charged with trafficking in “crack” cocaine was sentenced on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in U.S. District Court in Asheville, announced Anne M. Tompkins, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger sentenced Mario Lamond Carson, 29, of Marion, to serve 60 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release.

Harry S. Sommers,Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Asheville District Office and U.S. Attorney Tompkins was joined in making today’s announcement by,; Chief William Anderson of the Asheville Police Department; Sheriff Van Duncan of the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office; and Sheriff Dudley Greene of the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office.

On October 5, 2010, a criminal indictment charged 11 defendants with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute in excess of 50 grams of cocaine base, commonly known as “crack” cocaine. According to filed court documents and evidence presented at the sentencing hearings, the defendants were engaged in a conspiracy to distribute significant amounts of crack cocaine in McDowell and Buncombe Counties.

The other ten defendants named in the indictment and sentenced as part of the drug conspiracy include:

• Raymond Dangelo Allen, 33 of Asheville, was sentenced on February 16, 2012, to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Reggie Lamont Battle, 33, of Asheville, was sentenced on January 19, 2012, to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Shawn Terrill Boyce, 40, of Marion, was sentenced on September 22, 2011, to 14 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Jonathan Keith Daniels, 41, of Asheville, was sentenced on November 17, 2011, to 100 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Derrick Edward Forney, 26, of Marion, was sentenced on September 22, 2011, to 21 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Brandon Dion Ledbetter, 26, of Marion, was sentenced on July 7, 2011, to 13 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Carlos Keno Twitty, 39, of Marion, was sentenced on September 22, 2011, to 33 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

• Brandon Michael Walker, 25, of Marion, was sentenced on July 7, 2011, to 15 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Nicholas Raymond Wilkerson, 34, of Marion, was sentenced on September 21, 2011, to 33 months in prison and four years of supervised release. And,

• N’namdi Eva Young, 30, of Marion, was sentenced on November 17, 2011, to 18 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

A separate criminal indictment filed on June 1, 2010, charged 13 other individuals with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute “crack” cocaine, and one count of using a communication facility to further these offenses. According to filed court documents, plea agreements, and court hearings, the 13 defendants conspired to distribute significant amounts of crack cocaine in McDowell and Buncombe Counties.

All 13 defendants entered guilty pleas and have already been sentenced in U.S. District Court. They are:

• Kingsley Eke Agbaeze, 27, of Marion, was sentenced on August 29, 2011, to 41 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

• Jesse Paul Harrison Allison, 22, of Old Fort, was sentenced on September 21, 2011, to 50 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

• Cedric Ranell Boyd, 31, of Asheville, was sentenced on May 25, 2011, to 70 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

• Barrett Jameston Carson, 24, of Black Mountain, was sentenced on July 6, 2011, to 46 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Willie Jermille Chappell, 29, of Asheville, was sentenced on July 7, 2011, to 210 months in prison and ten years of supervised release.

• Lekeashia Lynette Conley, 37, of Marion, was sentenced on March 17, 2011, to 34 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

• Chrisshawn DeLee Folston, 28, of Old Fort, was sentenced on July 7, 2011, to 168 months in prison and ten years of supervised release.

• Anthoney Shane Harper, 25, of Black Mountain, was sentenced on September 22, 2011, to 57 months in prison and four years of supervised release.

• Jarrod Deandre Hausley, 24, of Old Fort, was sentenced on September 21, 2011, 2011, to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Antonio Edward King, 23, of Old Fort, was sentenced on May 25, 2011, to 70 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Deandre Dorian Lytle, 30, of Old Fort, was sentenced on November 16, 2011, to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release.

• Joshua Aurrick Toms, 28, of Marion, was sentenced on August 29, 2011, to 345 months in prison and five years of supervised release. And,

• Markeenus Cleavon Wilkerson, 36, of Marion, was sentenced on July 7, 2011, to 168 months in prison and ten years of supervised release.

The investigation into both cases was handled by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Asheville Police Department, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s, and the McDowell County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jill Westmoreland Rose and Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.